Pregnancy - 6
Your baby
Your baby’s now about 8mm long – double the size he was last week but still only the size of a little tadpole. His tiny heart has already started to beat at about 100–130 beats per minute as blood begins to circulate. The little buds that will become his arms and legs are starting to form. Brain waves are detectable from day 40 as brain tissues are growing rapidly. His eyes are starting to take shape and have already started to darken with pigment.
You
It’s important that your diet is good and that you’re taking supplements of folic acid to help reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. You might be starting to feel nauseous as pregnancy hormones rise. Eating little and often can help, and eating a dry cracker before you get up in the morning may help settle your tummy.
Did you know?
Up to 50% of pregnancies are not planned. If you find out you’re pregnant and haven’t been taking folic acid supplements, don’t worry. Just start to take them straight away and carry on until the end of the first trimester.
